Dawn McKnight, Partner at Lawtons Solicitors, was instructed by a client who wished to appeal her Notification Requirements on the Sex Offenders register.
Our client was convicted and sentenced to serious child sex offences, which meant indefinite notification requirements applied. Our client had committed no further offences and had no breaches of her notification requirements.
As she had been on the register for 15 years, she was then entitled to apply to appeal to Bedfordshire Police for removal from the register, which she duly did.
The police refused to remove her, and, as such, she wished to instruct specialist lawyers to conduct her appeal.
Having initially consulted with the client and read the police letter confirming their refusal to remove, Dawn felt that the client had a good case to apply to the Courts to appeal.
With the assistance of specialist Counsel Lucy Waterstone of 9 Bedford Row Chambers, Dawn made the application to Luton Magistrates Court, which was set for a final hearing.
In the interim, following discussions with Counsel, a Freedom of Information request was made to Bedfordshire Police. This revealed that the client was deemed at low risk of reoffending.
Before the final hearing, Dawn engaged with the legal department of Bedfordshire Police on the instruction of Counsel requesting that various documents be disclosed on our client’s assessment and the reasons for refusing to be removed from the register.
As a result of our representations, the police reconsidered the position and agreed to remove the client from the register, meaning that the case at court could be withdrawn.
